


Catatonic Cookies

by Poppies_From_Under_the_Snow



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, M/M, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-06-24 04:46:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15622863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poppies_From_Under_the_Snow/pseuds/Poppies_From_Under_the_Snow
Summary: After living on a military base for the entirety of  his life and the outbreak, Arthur Pendragon leaves the base to venture into the outside world. On a search for survivors, Arthur finds his childhood friend, Merlin, catatonic and alone.





	Catatonic Cookies

Arthur Pendragon had lived on the military base since the day he was born. He had never left, and by the time he turned ten his soul ached with an extreme case of cabin fever that his father deemed to be a phase. But, Arthur knew that it wasn’t a phase. It infuriated him that his father so thoughtlessly and easily blew off his feelings and desires when he wasn’t even speaking from experience himself.  
So, ten year old Arthur decided that he’d have to cure his severe cabin fever by himself. He waited until he could hear the voice of Uther Pendragon speaking with booming confidence to his top military men, shifting from it’s gentle and quiet tones used when speaking to Arthur to harsh and loud sounds and booms. Arthur krept past the meeting room, and down the long hallway with dreary grey walls and navy carpets. He went outside to where he and his father kept their shiny bikes chained up next to their jeep, and unlocked his bike without much trouble.  
Arthur rode straight out of the gates without any problems, which he was admittedly surprised about. Though, civilians were allowed to come and go as they pleased, so that probably made the security around the gate area particularly low.  
Arthur broke into a run when he was no less than ten feet outside of the gates. His heart began to pound as he realized with a sudden explosion of emotion that he could see everything. He could see the suburbs on the outskirts of the city, and the tall, thin buildings standing tall in the distance. He could see the wispy clouds gently stroking the edges of the sky. He could see farm fields and machinery.  
Arthur sprang off of the ground with the balls of his feet and gave a yelp as his bike seemed to leap into movement beneath his body, vibrating and shaking like it itself was alive.  
When Arthur finally began to fly past the houses on the outskirts of the city, a new wonder filled up his heart as he gazed almost longingly at the pastel houses with flowers springing up from the beds outside them. The base had lots of plants. But, no flowers.  
Arthur pedaled his bike faster until he was finally in the suburbs. Kids were playing in driveways, old people rocked on the porch, newspapers and delivery trucks were cheerfully leaving their goods outside of people’s houses.  
If only Arthur hadn’t been staring at his almost alien surroundings, he would have seen the pothole in front of him, which his front tire went into. Arthur’s pounding heart seemed to slow down as his life flashed before his eyes. His bike flew over him, and he could hear it hitting the ground.  
And ten-year-old Arthur suddenly felt glad that he wasn’t going to die on the base.  
“Oof!” Arthur hit the hot pavement with his entire body. His skin felt like it was recoiling from it, and his bones felt like they were shaking. Arthur slid for about three feet, grinding away the skin on his cheekbone, and left hand and knee. He struggled to breathe for a few moments before snapping back into reality when he realized the stranger hovering over him, nudging him with the toe of his spiderman, light-up sneakers.  
“Are you okay?” asked the young, male stranger. He was pale and had dark hair. Arthur felt like this boy was someone he should have known for a moment. But… wait… he wasn’t on the base, was he? “Why weren’t you wearing a helmet?” All Arthur could do was moan in response. He wasn’t quite ready to sit up yet, but he didn’t want this boy to think he was dead, either. “Hold on, okay? I’ll get Gaius.”  
Arthur heard the boy running back to his house to get this “Gaius”, and when they returned, an old man helped him sit up. “Hellll-o!” He said, almost cheerfully, not making eye contact with Arthur, but instead the road burn across his cheek bone. “What happened here?”  
“Your so old!” exclaimed Arthur. The man frowned. “Is he your father?” Arthur looked up at the young boy with dark hair, “I can’t believe it!”  
“Mind your own busine-”  
“Merlin,” Gaius interrupted, “Please remember your manners. Will you go get the first aid kit out of the drawer in the kitchen?” They watched the boy shift his weight, and leave.  
Suddenly, there was shouting from down the street. There was the distinct clinking of armor against weaponry. “That’s my father’s men,” Arthur explained to Gaius, “They’re here to take me back.”


End file.
